Parramatta Soldier – Lewis Richard Wallace Anderson

2 Mar, 2016

Private Lewis Richard Wallace Anderson enlisted on 2 March, 1916. Before enlisting the 24 year-old had worked at Meggitt’s store in Parramatta for over five years and lived in the nearby suburb of Auburn, Sydney, New South Wales. He had been born in Scotland and his mother, Mrs M. Anderson, was living at 27 Urqhuart Road Aberdeen.He left Australia on 22 August, 1916. Obviously well liked, Louie, was tragically killed in the action at Gueudecourt, France, on 4 February 1917 after being one of the first of his company to go ‘over-the-top’. His name is on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.Cumberland Argus Lewis Anderson is mentioned in a letter from Private.Charlie V. Carr to his mother, Mrs. E. L. Carr, of Smith-street, Parramatta, from France 12 February 1917;

Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting on. We have just left the trenches after some of the hardest fighting In the history of this battalion, and I am sorry to say that we lost two Parramatta boys in the fight, and they were two of the gamest that I have ever seen. … The other lad was one of Meggitt’s employees. I mentioned his name in one of my last letters, Louie Anderson. He is fairly well known In Parramatta, and was a very nice lad. He was in a different company to me, so I cannot say much about him. Some of the lads in his company told me that he was one of the first that went out in his company. Both these lads were killed in action on the 5th February, 1917. I am going to hospital this morning with sickness — nothing serious, so you don’t want to worry; at any rate, I will be out by the time you receive this letter.